Update and heading for the weekend

My skirt sits on the sewing table just waiting for me to pick up where I left off so I can complete it.  This week has been stressful with my and my DH's job.  I just did not have the energy to do what I wanted sewing wise in the evenings.

I had ordered some crepe fabrics from Fashion Fabrics and they arrived on Wednesday.  I will use them to make another color blocked dress and using a Vogue pattern.

This weekend is going to be a scorcher, highs in the triple digits, rather unusual for this neck of the woods.  I see myself staying inside a lot where it is cool, focusing on sewing.  Next week I will be off the 4th, 5th and 6th so will be doing more sewing.

Sew many ideas and sew little time.  Hope your sewing weekend goes well.  More later.

Skirt in progress

I decided to go with a skirt that I have made previously.  It is a McCall's 5523 that has princess seaming and variations on how the back can look.  I am surprised that it is not OOP as it has been around for some time. I have made previously in stretch woven as well as wool gaberdine.  I made view A and B, and I am making view A again.

Here is a view of the first skirt I made from this pattern; the post is about the Sorbetto top.  The wool version I made has the pleats in the back.

The pattern does not call for a lining but I cut out lining fabric using the pattern pieces.  I just like linings in my skirts.  I think also this fabric needs it.

To be or not to be

I have been struggling with what skirt to make.  It will be a pencil style skirt.  I have some new patterns with nice skirts, but  I also have some skirt patterns I have made with success and leaning toward using one of those because the fit is perfected.

As Sheila said on her blog, her sewing mojo is temperamental and I am feeling the same way.  I decided to do some straightening and rearranging in the sewing room.  Now that is done, hopefully I can settle on something and move on.

Vogue 8815 in progress

The top is almost complete.  Here are photos I took before sleeves were inserted and top hemmed.

Here is the top with yellow fabric pinned to AlmaMarie to give you an idea of how the top will look with the coordinating fabric which will become a skirt. 

The top and skirt fabric was acquired last year from Les Fabrique in Charlottesville, VA.  The owner was a presenter at one of our ASG meetings.  I thought the floral fabric was a retro looking fabric and will the peplum style making a comeback I thought this was a perfect top to make.

Vogue Peplum blouse

It is almost complete!  Photos soon, I hope.  I had to shorten the length of the front darts and should have probably caught that needed change when I did the FBA.  I also ended up using 1/2 inch seams for the back and side seams.  I just wanted a little more wiggle room.  This is really a nice pattern.  I may make a sleeveless version in the near future.

Later.

Tutorial

I just watched this tutoriall over at Sew What's New.  This is helpful tutorial for sewing a lining to a zipper.  The example shown is using a center based zipper, not invisible.  I use a different method but this is a nice alternative.

Off to the sewing room.

Looking forward to the weekend

Not much going on in my sewing world this week.  I have been thinking forward to the weekend sewing projects.  I have decided I am going to make the peplum blouse first instead of the skirt.  I am seeing this top pop up on Pattern Review as well as on other blogs.  I truly like how each one is so different from another and I saw one this AM where the sewist was wearing it with coordinating shorts.  It was a great idea.  One I may have to copy.

I did order some knit fabric from Linnie Darling, a new source for me.  I saw the name on PR and clicked to visit.  I will have to take a photo of the fabric but for now you can go here to see it.  It is lovely as in the photo, a little thinner knit than I anticipated but well worth my purchase to me.

More later.

New Look and Vogue

I pin fitted the NL skirt pattern and found that I only needed to do my usual swayback adjustment and reduce the length from waist to hip by two inches.  I then cut out the fabric for the skirt.  I am using View B, the skirt view that the model is wearing.

I am using fabric I acquired several months ago from Hancock's in Richmond.  It is rather raveling so will need to be serge finished before to much handling.













I then decided to pin fit Vogue 8815, a peplum top that seems to be growing in popularity.  I had to make a 1.25 inch FBA.  I eliminated the resulting side dart increasing the vertical dart and requiring an adjustment in the peplum also.  You can see his here.

In addition I took a 1/4 inch tuck in the upper chest, upper back and in the sleeve.  I also made a 5/8 inch high round back adjustment and 1/2 inch forward shoulder adjustment.

I am using this fabric that I acquired from Les Fabrique Fabric store in Charlottesville, VA.  The peplum top will be made from the floral fabric and a pencil skirt will be the solid yellow.  This fabric has such a retro/vintage look to it and I fell in love with it instantly when I saw it.

I hope your sewing weekend was productive.

Photo updates

Today I wore the Magic Pencil skirt to work along with Butterick knit top made a month or so ago.  So forgive the wrinkles-

I wore the top outside of the skirt and with belt acquired from Chico's several years ago.

Here is the skirt with top tucked in

and one more shot, back view

Since I was taking photos here are a few of the Butterick Tangerine and Fuchsia dress

The back view is showing some wrinkles that I am not sure of the cause-will have to analyze this further.  The lighting with these photos do not show the fuchsia color very well.

Quick and easy

After spending my stay/sewcation working mostly on Butterick 5602, I needed a quick and easy project to tackle next.  I decided to try Pamela's Pattern #109 the Magic Pencil Skirt.  I followed the directions to a T.

I had enough red double knit fabric to test sew and if necessary cut another skirt from what was left.  I took the three measurements as suggested in the instructions- high hip (tummy), hip, and fullest part of thighs from this you chose which size you should  make.  I actually measured out at the upper end of the xsmall size range.  (I love some of the independent patterns size measurements; I have not considered myself a xsmall or small in a long time.)

I decided however to go with the small size.  I am glad I did as the skirt would have been too snug otherwise.  Snug is not the look I was going for.  I basted the darts and side seams as suggested and then tested the elastic again following the instructions for this pattern.  I found I needed to add a little to the front of the waist line area and do the usual swayback back adjustment for the back.  I then traced the pattern piece again as the front and back is the same piece.  I adjusted this one for the front changes I needed and the original tracing was adjusted for the back for my fitting needs.

I then cut the remaining red double knit to make my second skirt.  I kept the front darts but as suggested in the instructions if you have hollow space or dimpling you may want to eliminate the darts.  Next time I will try that, for now this works okay for me.  The instructions have you attach the elastic, turn and then stitch just below the elastic.  Using Pamela's method for sizing the elastic and using a quality elastic you should have not the gather elastic casing look.  I decided at this point to not stitch it per the instructions but to stitch in the ditch at the side seams and at the darts.   You can see how that looks with this photo:

Here is another photo of the finished skirt.  It is not as orange red as it looks in the photos.  I tried adjusting the color temperature to try to get it closer to the red it is, but results are still lacking.

I used the blind hem stitch on my sewing machine to sew this skirt.  Now that the pattern fit is perfected for me, this skirt can be made easily within an hour. 

Vogue 8799

My intentions were to take photos of the completed Butterick dress.  It just was to wrinkled to do that.  So while I had the camera and tripod set up I decided to take photo of Vogue 8799 as all the photos I had of the completed dress were of those of the dress on the hanger.

This is the front of the dress. The fabric print is so busy that you cannot really see the unique front seaming lines of the dress when worn.

The shoes are a recent purchase from Zappos, Steve Madden pump in coral.  They look rather red in the photo. I am still thinking about whether they will blend enough with the orange in the dress to wear with them.  I have a pair of patent leather kitten heeled shoes that match the pink shade in the dress perfectly.  So I have another alternative.

Here is the back of the dress

And a side view

As I noted in the photo I still have fullness in the tummy area.  I took this up some and may do more before final wearing. 

Butterick dress photos soon.  Dress is on ironing board waiting for me to press it.

Next up for sewing is skirts.  I am going to try Pamela's Patterns Magical Pencil Skirt.  I have some red double knit fabric cut out and ready to test now.  Reviews for this pattern are pretty positive over at Pattern Review.

Update later.